This is me in my apartment in #nakedface.

No tan, no rest, no complimentary photo angle and most importantly, not a stitch of makeup.

Home is probably the only place I’m completely comfortable in it and where only family, close friends, assistants/interns and the boyfriend see me in it. When I snapped this before pic, I was relieved that the morning light was so bright it concealed the light specks of hyperpigmentation on my cheeks (which thanks be to the god of vanity, are smaller and lighter after using elure).

Now while I do love makeup, I don’t believe beauty requires a mask. My pro work is often complemented for natural, radiant, fresh skin. Still, let’s be honest, even to the gym I swipe on a light coat of mascara and some lipgloss, not to mention a little BB cream in the paler winter months.

Not Kardashian-camoflauge by any stretch. Just a little boost of color, that comes with a little side of confidence.

But I had to leave my apartment looking like this (look up at the #nakedface image again), walk several blocks to Soho, hail a cab and taxi it over to MAC PRO in NYC (where, PS, everyone is uber-glam for a living).

I then sat #nakedfaced in front of a class taught by MAC Senior Artist Romero Jennings on Fall 2013 Trend Makeup. His students not only had iphones in hand but also pro cameras that they were not afraid to get up close and personal with. And the only reason I did it was that I knew his master techniques would leave me not only transformed but inspired as well.

As you can see from the after pictures (taken when I got home much later that day), the man knows how to paint a face.

As in – Wow.

Want to know his tricks?? 

My money’s on yes.

Here are the KEY FALL TRENDS Romero covered:

SKIN – supernatural and fresh, real-skin finish, contoured and highlighted with creams, hardly powdered. Key products: MAC Mineralize Moisture Foundation, MAC Sculpting Cream, MAC Cream Color Base in Pearl

BROWS – full, powerful, spikey, masculine. Key Products: MAC Eye Brows Pencil in Lingering, MAC Clear Brow Gel, MAC Brow Set

EYES – in a word (that Romero used): “grungey”, brown shadows, jet black liner smudged to appear worn, eyecolor rimming the full eye, clusters of individual lashes at the outer corner. Key Products: MAC Smolder Eye Kohl, MAC 30 Lash (individual lashes)

CHEEKS – minimal color 

LIPS – conditioned first, then penciled in entirely starting from the center and blended outward to create a graduated stain (no lipstick or lipgloss). Key Products: MAC Lip Conditioner, MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil

And here are 3 INSIGHTFUL PRO TIPS Romero dispensed that were great takeaways for his students (and now you & me):

PRO TIP 1 – We live in an age where women protect their faces daily. The result is that the face is often lighter than the neck, and shades lighter than the body. Rather than color-matching foundation using the cheek or jawline, look at the face, neck and body. Then create a look that ties everything together. Romero used lighter foundation in the center of my face and darker foundation on the outside of my face plus contour and highlight products to create this perfectly matched effect. (NOTE: I wear SPF 50+ year-round on my face. No exceptions. For my body, when I’m in the sun I apply SPF30 or so to start but once I’m a little tan it’s more like SPF12. So yeah, he did have some blending and matching to do.)

PRO TIP 2 – Apply creams and even liquids with natural-bristle fluffy brushes for a more natural application. Unlike traditional foundation and concealer brushes that may streak, fluffy brushes can create an airbrushed effect when the product is lightly tapped on. Romero had a very light hand with the face makeup. His light yet flawless finish is exactly what we saw on the fall runways show after show.

PRO TIP 3 – Don’t spackle on the concealer. This, of course, is my tendency lately with the work hours I’ve been keeping and the undereye circles and puffiness I’ve been waking up to. (Another reason this #nakedface thing wasn’t exactly right up my alley). Instead, apply light foundation first then just a touch of concealer to small areas that need it. When it comes to eyes, and this too speaks to trend, do not glide concealer up to the edges of the eyes right against the lashline. This is the thinnest skin and it often has a red/purple/blue tint to it. Allow that color (discolor?) to peek through to aid in the desired “grunge” effect. 

As you can only imagine, I left MAC much happier in #paintedface.

Thanks MAC & Romero! XOLC

Note: This post is not sponsored. All thoughts are unbiased and my own. All models for MAC PRO classes receive makeup as compensation for their time.